The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1887-09-01
VOICE OF THE PEOPLE.
TARIFF REFORM AND INTERNAL
REVENUE.

|
ssSubscriber'' Discusses the Relation
Between Farmers Clubs and Politics
--The Protectionists are Amassing
Wealth at the Expense of the Farmer
| EDITOR SENTINEL If space in
THE SENTINEL is not too much crowd
ed, the appearance of the few follow
ing remarks from a subscriber will be
deemed favor.
The Madison correspondent of the
Union Republican, in an article which
covers one-fourth of the first page OF
that paper last week, gives its farmer
readers large dose of what might be
appropriately termed political love
powders. It is perhaps unnecessary
to say that the writer of said article
has been allied to first one of the
great political parties and then to the
other, and that the editor of the Re
publican in its editorial columns ap-
pears to endorse the views of its Mad
ison correspondent.
The compliment paid Col. L. L,
Polk on the success which he
has met in the organization of Far
mers' Clubs in the State is timely and
merited but the assertion that these
clubs mean political revolution is an
insinuation ON the high aims of Col.
Polk and Farmers Clubs.
The forming of these Clubs and the
sentiments disseminated by their orig
inator among the agricultural mass
es are intended and operate towards
the education of the formers in the de-
tails of their vocation and the mate
rial advancement of their special
interests, and not for political revolu-
ton as intimated by the Republicans
Madison correspondent.
That these clubs will accomplish
much in the end for the relief of the
farmer, is admitted on all sides. That
Col. Polk is engaged in noble work,
is true. He holds high place in the
heart of every farmer in North Caro-
lima. That spirit of independent in
quiry respecting the real interests of
the agricultural classes is a good sign,
is fact that can't be denied. But
that this inquiry is directed towards
political parties, believe to be an
error. 1t is directed towards higher
purpose. 1t is directed to the discov-
cry of the best methods of securing
greater agricultural prosperity in the
land, which, believe, depends not SO
much on the success of a party organ
ization as it does en- the elevation and
education of the farmer. The latter
is best secured by intercourse and con-
ference, which are the main features
of the Farmers Clubs. This cores
pondent places the agricultural pros
perity of the country on theories rath-
er than principles of political economy
and from them reasons that our pros
perity in this respect depends alone
on protective tariff-a protective
tariff that protects the rich manufact.
uring and mining corporations OF
Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania in
their monopolistic amassing of wealth
out of the agricultural masses, the con.
sumers of manufactured articles. Such
theories are worthless in an age of in.
yentions and experiments, like the
present. If protective tariff forces
me to pay one dollar and fifty cents
for hat could otherwise buy for
rs cents, and about in the same ratio
as to all the necessaries of life, when
not a cent of tariff is paid me ON my
farm proucts when l carry them to
; the market, must know it is folly
and even sinful ignorance for ME to
support such theory, or to lend my
vote to bring about political revolu
tion that will retain the practice OF
such theory in the government Of
the affairs of any country. In a nut
shell, vote to protect rich man al
the expense of the poor.
The farmer to day is oppressed anG
poor. He is laboring under burden:
that are grinding him down to a non
entity and pauper on the earth
. No wonder he is poor. He has sup
ported this protective tariff ten years
too long already. Approximately ht
has paid three fourths of the tariff O
the whole nation, while all the time
, the price of his farm products has beer
ground down to the lowest possibl,
point by the corporations and stock
: exchanges to whom he pays tarif
as to liege-lord. Under the binding
E influence of insinuating and schemins
politicians he has lost the dear liberty
of free thought and action which th,
; constitution vouches to every citizen
He is taught and blindly heeds theo
ries that are continually reducing hin
to pauperism for the enriching ant
support of corporations and monopo
lies.
The time for independent inquiry i
d at hand. The time for the agricult
ural masses to ally themselves witt
and lend their influence to, first, tn
farmers clubs and conventions, il
which to learn and interchange views
and, second, the political organization
;, that demands the reduction of tn
present protective tariff to standar,
OF tariff for the necessary expenses O
the government only, has come.
The Republicans correspondent
correct in the main of his remarks re
specting the internal revenue and it
abolishment. The internal revenu
system is another system for the man
ufacture of poverty and hard time
among the agricultural classes in til
tobacco districts, because they pa
) three fourths of the revenue, for tn
: same reason that they pay thre
fourths of the tariff revenues. Thi
4 burden has been held and pressed VI
on the people for more than twent
vnars and r. has errown mora an